Following the February 2, 2010 pr imary elections, Pat Quinn secured a narrow victory over Dan Hynes while Bill Brady faced a very competitive field with half a dozen contenders; he won the nomination by a tenth of a point.

Also in the race was Scott Lee Cohen, who initially won the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor before disclosures about his personal life compelled him to leave the race. A millionaire who owns a series of pawn shops, Cohen re-entered the race as a self-funded Independent candidate for the governorship.

The race reached the zenith (or nadir) of silliness when Democrat Pat Quinn, struggling to make up ground, accused his Republican opponent of supporting a bill to kill puppies.[1] In fact, the bill regulated shelters' practices when they euthanize animals.

November 2, 2010 general election results

As of December 8, 2010, official results are available from the Secretary of State.[2]

Inauguration and transition

Inaugural date

Newly elected to a full term in his own right, Pat Quinn and running mate Sheila Simon began their term on January 12, 2011.

Transition team

Governor Quinn did not announce any major changes to his administration ahead of beginning his elected term.

February 2, 2010 primaries

The primary elections were held on February 2, 2010. Incumbent Governor Pat Quinn declared victory in the Democratic nomination over State Comptroller Dan Hynes in a close race. By February 3, Hynes had not conceded the race. Fewer than 6,000 votes separated the two, and the potential for recounts were discussed. On February 4, 2010, Hynes conceded the primary, making Pat Quinn the Democratic nominee.[3][4]

Race background

The gubernatorial race in Illinois in 2010 was one of the most analyzed and significant races of the year. In 2008, former Governor Rod Blagojevich was indicted and arrested on a host of corruption charges. Illinois has a storied past of corrupt politicians, and the Blagojevich incident both highlighted that past and undercut faith in government almost entirely in a state that had little enough to begin with.[35] Blagojevich's ties to President Obama, former Illinois state senator as well as a former U.S. Senator from Illinois, further complicated the situation for the state.[36]

Key issues

In 2010, voters top concerns included wasteful spending, trustworthy governance, fiscal responsibility, and ethics, due in large part to the Blagojevich scandal[37]. The incumbent, Governor Pat Quinn, was appointed to replace Blagojevich, having previously served as his Lt. Governor.

Some specific campaign issues included the expansion of Chicago's O'Hare airport[38], a potential tax increase of up to 50% proposed by Governor Quinn[39], and Illinois' economy[40] and high unemployment[41].

Historically, Illinois has shifted from strongly Democratic to strongly Republican more than once. Long considered a battleground state, it has been considered solidly blue for some years now. That trend counted against Republicans in the general election. However, some suggested anti-incumbent sentiment and continuing economic woes would prove beneficial to the GOP in 2010, as happened with the victory of Scott Brown in the Massachusetts special election in January, 2010.[42]

Scott Lee Cohen as a potential spoiler

The re-emergence of a former Democratic nominee as an Independent candidate threatenined to siphon just enough votes from Pat Quinn's re-election bid to tip the election to Republican Bill Brady.

Scott Lee Cohen, a pawnbroker whose business has made him a millionaire, jumped into the race in August of 2009. He was initially competing for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination before withdrawing to allow Pat Quinn to enjoy an uncontested field. He refiled to run for the lt. gubernatorial nomination and won that primary on February 2, 2010.

Cohen soon disclosed personal information relating to a marriage that ended in divorce and to a former girlfriend, which led to calls from fellow Illinois Democrats, including incumbent Governor Pat Quinn, that he withdraw.[43] While Cohen was adamant that he would not withdraw when he spoke to media on February 4, 2010 rumors were swirling that he was seeking a graceful exit and he officially resigned his nomination on February 7, 2010.[44]

However, in late April, he confirmed stories that he was exploring an independent gubernatorial bid and had paid a private polling firm to survey voters on their receptiveness to his potential candidacy.[45] He indeed filed to run as an Independent on May 3, 2010 and successfully submitted 130,000 signatures to petition onto the ballot.

Third party analysts gave Cohen very little chance of winning but his presence in the race where the two major party nominees were polling so closely and his personal fortune made him a prime candidate to play spoiler, something that did not ultimately happen.[46]

Bob Schillerstrom, chair of the DuPage County Board, exited the race in late January and endorsed Jim Ryan. However, he remained on the ballot and drew a small percentage of primary votes. (endorsed Jim Ryan)[52]

Impact of Massachusetts Special Election

In January, 2010, the special election in Massachusetts to fill the seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy resulted in a win for the GOP. In the wake of the election of Scott Brown, pundits and analysts discussed the impact of the win in terms of a possible political landscape shift for Democrats across the spectrum in 2010.

The fallout of the GOP win in Massachusetts was predicted to be far-reaching. Massachusetts is widely regarded as the quintessential blue state, despite the majority of registered voters self-identifying as independents. Prior to December of 2009, conventional wisdom held that Republicans were unelectable to national office from the state. Post-election analysis, however, shows that Scott Brown's focus on national security, opposition to the closing of Guantanamo Bay, and theme of fiscal responsibility resonated with both independents and democrats across the state. Conditions in the 2010 governor's race in Illinois match up with the Massachusetts senate race on several levels. Both offices were formerly held by Democrats replaced mid-term. Both states have worsening unemployment numbers and economic troubles. Both states are dominated by the majority party and are experiencing incumbency fatigue.

It has been suggested that with the GOP victory in Massachusetts, independent voters in states like Illinois may become energized.[61] Nationally, tea party activists and conservative movement organizations are capable of raising vast amounts of money for local or state races. In the general gubernatorial election, that nationwide enthusiasm for party change may translate into significant campaign money for the eventual GOP candidate.